Over the past year, Hilary Hageman played a critical role in guiding SAIC’s legal, governance and compliance strategy as the company expands its portfolio of advanced digital, cyber and AI-enabled capabilities to meet evolving national security demands.
From overseeing complex regulatory frameworks to supporting strategic growth initiatives, Hageman helped ensure SAIC’s innovation efforts are grounded in strong risk management and responsible business practices.
Hageman, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at SAIC, is a finalist in the Chief Officer Awards Private & Public General Counsel and / or Compliance Executive of the Year category. The event takes place live June 2.
Here, she discusses SAIC’s recent milestones, her approach to governance in a rapidly evolving technology landscape, and the experiences that have shaped her career.
What key achievements did you have in 2025/2026?
To address the evolving needs of the Department of War and other agencies we support, SAIC continues to expand its portfolio of advanced digital, cyber, engineering, and AI-enabled capabilities that can best meet customers’ challenges. My team and I are committed to continuously ensuring that all of SAIC’s rapid innovation and strategic growth in these areas occur responsibly and within our strengthened framework of governance, compliance and risk management.
A key milestone from this past year was helping to manage SAIC’s acquisition of SilverEdge Government Solutions, which expanded the company’s capabilities in cybersecurity, AI, data analytics, and software platforms—particularly in the Intelligence Community. My team and I developed the legal strategy supporting the transaction, led regulatory review, managed risk, and ensured the deal structure aligned with government contracting requirements. Our work enabled SAIC to seamlessly integrate SilverEdge’s technologies and its team of experts.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
First, allow your passions to guide you in identifying the specialized field in which you will strive to become an indispensable expert. In my case, childhood reverence for the U.S. military members who protected my family while I grew up under unstable governments overseas and my grandfather’s service as an Army aviator developed into a keen interest in national security and the domain of outer space.
Second, be a good teammate to your coworkers by showing them kindness and respect, a willingness to collaborate, and a belief that the best work product always results from the conjoined efforts of many, each bringing their own unique skills and perspectives to bear in solving problems.
Third, recognize that careers never advance along a straight linear projection. Instead, lateral opportunities will invariably present themselves, and if they offer the potential of broadening your professional skills and experiences or deepening the pool of mentors from whom you must learn, seize them.
Finally, never compromise your integrity. Those who stray from the highest standards of personal and professional ethics rarely do so because they are unaware of what is right. Instead, they allow self-interest to eclipse their best judgment. Steel yourself against that temptation by recognizing that strength of character is the workplace’s most valued currency. Build and burnish a reputation for honesty, fairness, kindness, and respect.
What is something about you that most people do not know?
I spent most of my early life overseas in Africa and Asia. I was proud to be the child of Americans posted in some of the most unsettled areas of the world. Living amidst civil unrest, I was blessed to have the American military rescue and protect my family. My childhood gratitude and respect for our men and women in uniform are at the root of my unwavering dedication to our nation and the ranks of its Armed Forces. An interesting coincidence is that while growing up in Madras, India during the 1970s, SAIC CFO, Prabu Natarajan, and I, without knowing each other at the time, lived only a few miles down the road from each other. We still enjoy surprising colleagues and friends at team meetings by sharing that our lives briefly and unknowingly intersected decades ago in Madras, long before our careers brought us together again at SAIC.
